Billing & Insurance
Before sending a bill, we submit a claim to your child's health insurance provider and secondary insurance, if applicable. If your child's insurance company doesn't cover the full cost of our services, we mail you a statement for the remainder. If your child doesn't have health insurance or the insurance company doesn't pay for our services, we bill you for the full amount. All self-pay patients are eligible for a discount.
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital San Francisco provides consolidated statements that include fees for both hospital and professional services:
- Hospital service fees may include charges for room and board during a hospital stay, medications given and diagnostic tests performed.
- Professional service fees cover the cost of care provided by your child's doctor. If multiple doctors were involved in your child's care, you'll see charges for each. For example, if your child had X-rays and surgery, you'll see separate fees for the surgeon, anesthesiologist and radiologist.
If your child is a patient of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, you may receive separate statements for hospital and professional services.
Please note that some doctors who practice at our Oakland hospital may be considered out of network by your insurance, even if the hospital is in network. To be certain that care from a particular provider is covered, please check with your insurance company.
If you have questions about your bill, contact Patient Financial Services.
The No Surprises Billing Act: patient rights and protections
As of January 1, 2022, when patients get emergency care or are treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, the No Surprises Billing Act protects them against surprise billing or balance billing. Find out more about your rights under the new act and protections against surprise medical bills.
Notice: Open Payments database
The Open Payments database is a federal tool used to search payments made by drug and device companies to physicians and teaching hospitals. For informational purposes only, a link to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Open Payments webpage is provided here. The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that detailed information about payment and other payments of value worth over 10 dollars ($10) from manufacturers of drugs, medical devices and biologics to physicians and teaching hospitals be made available to the public.
Estimate out-of-pocket costs
We want you to be fully informed about any out-of-pocket costs for your child's care. To speak with a financial advisor and get a personalized estimate, call one of the financial counseling teams listed below, depending on where your child will receive care. Or click "Get an estimate online" to see out-of-pocket costs for our most common services.
Contact us
Patient Financial Services
Toll-free:(866) 433-4035
(415) 353-3333
(415) 353-3914
M-F, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
505 Parnassus Ave., #0810
San Francisco, CA 94143-5631
Financial counseling and cost estimates (San Francisco)
Toll-free(844) 678-6831
(415) 353-1966
Frequently asked questions
- How can I pay my bill?
We have three ways for patients to pay a bill.
Online: Submit a payment online via our secure patient portal, MyChart.
By mail: Detach and complete the payment coupon attached to your billing statement, and mail it in the envelope provided, along with your check or credit card information.
By phone: Call Patient Financial Services at the number above.
- What if my child is covered through Medi-Cal?
If your child's covered under this program, please provide an eligibility card or other proof of eligibility for the month your child received care at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals. Medi-Cal eligibility is determined on a month-to-month basis.
- What if my insurance information has changed?
Please contact Patient Financial Services immediately, so we can update your information and file your claim correctly. Most insurance companies require timely filing of claims.
- What if my child doesn't have insurance, or our insurance won't cover UCSF's care?
In these cases, your child's considered a self-pay patient. All self-pay patients at UCSF are eligible for a discount. Self-pay patients may also qualify for financial assistance through government programs or our charity care assistance.
For more information, contact Patient Financial Services or visit Financial Assistance.
- What if I can't pay my bill?
We encourage you to contact Patient Financial Services if you can't pay the balance due. One of our friendly customer service representatives or a financial counselor will be happy to discuss payment options and financial assistance with you.
- What happens if don't pay my bill?
If you don't pay the full balance or fulfill your payment arrangements in a timely manner, your bill becomes delinquent. At this point, the account may be referred to an outside collection agency.
If you're unable to pay your bill, please contact Patient Financial Services to discuss payment options and financial assistance.
- How do I know whether my bill is covered by insurance?
If you have questions about what's covered by your health insurance plan, please contact your health insurance company. Although we try to help our patients and families with coverage questions, it’s your responsibility to learn what's covered under your policy.
Related articles
Translation, please
We have interpreters for Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish, Russian, American Sign Language and more.
Request an interpreter